#Poll #HKPORI
40% of citizens rated Chief Executive Carrie Lam with zero mark
Chung Kim-wah: The result indicates complete rejection

On 28 July, Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institue (PORI) published the latest result of popularities of Chief executive and HKSAR, and the assessment of the social environment by citizens. Chief Executive Carrie Lam was rated with score 28.9 in the latest survey with 40% of people giving zero mark. Her net popularity was negative 53%.

Honour director of PORI Chung Kim-wah stated that the popularity of Chief Executive had been low in the last half-year, and at least 40% of interviewees on average gave her zero mark. Carrie Lam's act in the past has cemented the public's disapproval of the government, as shown by the zero marks given, which indicated complete rejection of Carrie Lam.

Director of PORI Dr. Chung Ting-yiu emphasised PORI will not participate in anything related to election coordination, and they will only publish results with the spirit of science. "It is up to the public on how to analyse and use the result of survey."

Source: Immedia HK #Jul28

#PressFreedom #PressPass
Are Journalists in China, Singapore, UK and US Required to Obtain Government-Issued Press Cards? 
 
Source: Stand News #Jul28

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#PressFreedom #PressPass
Are Journalists in China, Singapore, UK and US Required to Obtain Government-Issued Press Cards? 
 
An image widely circulating on Facebook claims that many countries have official journalist accreditation systems.  Information on the image compares the issuance of press cards in Hong Kong with China, Singapore, UK and US.
 
However, verification shows that the information on the image only provides an accurate description of the system in China, but its description of Singapore is only partially correct.  Although Singapore does offer a system to apply for Press Accreditation Cards (PAC) through the Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore does not require a journalist to obtain a PAC to report news in Singapore.
 
In the UK, government-recognised press cards are issued by the UK Press Card Authority (UKPCA), but UKPCA is not a governmental organisation.  Journalists are also not required to hold official press cards to conduct interviews or report news.
 
Some US government agencies issue media credentials, but their main function is to allow reporters to enter certain venues.  Journalists in the US do not need official accreditation to interview or report in public places.
 
Out of the four countries mentioned on the image, only journalists in China are required to obtain official press cards issued by the Chinese government.  Thus, the information on the circulating image is largely incorrect.
 
 
Source: Stand News #Jul28
 

U.S. ends preferential treatment for Hong Kong and #Fulbright Scholar Programme.
American scholars informed to not visit Hong Kong

Many scholars visited Hong Kong through a well-know exchange program, Fulbright Scholar Programme every year. A professor of Government and Public Administration Department, Wilson Wong shared a post in FB today. A Fulbright Scholar informed him that they will not coming to Hong Kong next January as planned before because the U.S. government formally ended the Fulbright Scholar programme in China, including Hong Kong. And that they will seek other countries to visit.

In the statement of U.S. President Trump to China released earlier, it was mentioned that the U.S. government is taking steps to terminate the Fulbright exchange program with China and Hong Kong. Wilson Wong thought at first Trump might react slowly by just stopping new applications and therefore have no impact on approved cases. "Now, Trump is effective and takes immediate action."

Source: Stand News #Jul28

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#AcademicFreedom #WhiteTerror #Academia #University

The End of Academic Freedom in Hong Kong: Purge of Educators and Scholars

Law professor Benny Tai was fired from the University of Hong Kong while social worker Bottle Shiu’s contract was not renewed by Hong Kong Baptist University.

Source: Stand News #Jul27 #Jul28, (https://bit.ly/2EQiAZr ; https://bit.ly/30ulyLK)

Related article:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23814

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Dr. Ip Iam-chong, assistant professsor in Cultural Studies at Hong Kong Lingnan University and founder of InMediaHK, was rejected in his professorship substantiation. His employment was reduced to a one-year contract.

Source: Ming Pao #Aug2 ; Stand News #Aug3

Related Article:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24020

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An American professor's contract was not renewed.

Source: InMedia #Jul18

Related article:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23749

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Po Kok Primary School teacher Mok Tak-wai was forced to copy and sign a pre-written resignation letter while awaiting trial relating to the Anti-ELAB movement.

Source: Apple Daily #Jul30

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Further reading:
Teacher shot in the eye during demonstration did not get his contract renewed by school
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/22640

School principal resigned amidst white terror and growing political oppression
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/22755

Teacher who created political cartoon fired
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23763

#TokyoOlympics
Hong Kong Swimmer Wins Silver in Women's 200m Freestyle

Hong Kong swimmer Siobhan Bernadette Haughey wins silver in the women's 200m freestyle, bringing home the city's first ever Olympic swimming medal and the second one in this year's Olympics.

She led the race during the second lap, though finished second behind Australian Ariarne Titmus. Her time of 1:53.92 sets a new Hong Kong and Asia record in the event.

Source: Stand News
Photo: AP/Petr David Josek
#Jul28 #Sports #HongKongers

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Read more:

Gold Medal for Hong Kong Fencer Cheung Ka Long

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30609?

#TokyoOlympics
Pro-China Party Angers Hong Kong Sport Fans for Attacking #Badminton Star for Wearing Black

Source: Stand News; InMedia; RTHK #Jul28

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#TokyoOlympics
Pro-China Party Angers Hong Kong Sport Fans for Attacking #Badminton Star for Wearing Black

After being attacked by a member of DAB, a pro-China party, for donning black in Tokyo Olympics, Hong Kong Badminton athlete Angus Ka-long Ng lost his latest match in the elimination round on July 28, 2021. Ng expressed immense disappointment but thanked his supporters for rooting for him.

Ng has won in an earlier match against Mexican representative Lino Munoz on July 25. Despite his victory, Ng had to spend time between matches to respond to the criticism sparked by the pro-Beijing camp--its members had demanded Ng to withdraw from the Olympics, all because he has worn a black tee shirt.

It can only be assumed that the pro-Beijing party associated the color black to pro-democracy movement which they oppose.

Ng explained on his social media page that he has no sponsor and received no authorization to print the Hong Kong SAR emblem on his own tee shirt.

The criticism of the pro-Beijing camp led to the rapid change of Ng's tee shirt by the Hong Kong Olympics Commitee within days.

On July 28, Ng was given a new tee-shirt in white and green, printed with the Hong Kong SAR emblem, sponsored by Fila, in a competion with Kevin Cordon, representative of Guatemala. However, the tee-shirt was not Ng's first choice for his match. During the match, he kept wiping the sweat that was not absorbed by the tee shirt.

After losing the match, Ng expressed his frustration and thanked his supporters on Instagram. "I am moved by all the support and encouragement. I know I'm not alone. Maybe some people are destined to play tragic roles in life," the Hong Kong Badminton star wrote. "I will stand up again, but it'll take some time."

The pro-Beijing camp's criticism over Ng's black tee shirt has angered many people in Hong Kong. Many netizens felt for Ng and pointed out that the incident has imposed unnecessary pressure on Hong Kong athletes in international games.

Read more:
Hong Kong Athlete Attacked by Pro-China Camp for Wearing Black
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30602

Source: Stand News; InMedia; RTHK #Jul28

#AngusNg #NgKaLong #TeamHongKong #Sport #HongKongAthlete #DAB #WhiteTerror #Censorship

U.S. lawmakers blast Coca-Cola, Visa and other sponsors of Beijing Olympics

A bipartisan panel in the U.S. Congress on Tuesday blasted U.S.-based corporate sponsors of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, including Coca-Cola, Visa Inc and Airbnb, accusing them of putting profits ahead of accusations of genocide in China.

Republican Representative Chris Smith said in a hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China that the sponsors needed to reconcile their "ostensible commitment to human rights" with subsidizing an Olympics where the host country is "actively committing human rights abuses."

Source: Reuters #Jul28

https://reut.rs/3i711Wn

#US #CocaCola #Visa #Sponsor #Beijing #Olympics

Morocco authorities arrest Uyghur activist at China’s request

Moroccan authorities have arrested a Uyghur activist in exile because of a Chinese terrorism warrant distributed by Interpol, according to information from Moroccan police and a rights group that tracks people detained by China.

Activists fear Yidiresi Aishan will be extradited to China and say the arrest is politically driven as part of a broader Chinese campaign to hunt down perceived dissidents outside its borders.

Morocco’s national security directorate said on Tuesday that a Chinese citizen was arrested after landing at Mohammed V international airport in Casablanca on 20 July, upon arrival from Istanbul.

Source: The Guardian #Jul28

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/28/morocco-authorities-arrest-uyghur-activist-at-chinas-request

#Moroccan #Uyghur #China #Arrest

China Prepares New Anti-Sanction Laws for Hong Kong and Macau

China’s government is planning to introduce new laws in Hong Kong and Macau that could bar foreign entities and individuals in the cities from complying with sanctions against China, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The new laws are expected to mirror China’s own “antiforeign sanctions law,” which Beijing rushed through in June in response to sanctions imposed on the country by the U.S. and Europe, the people said.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday that the country’s legislature was scheduled to add provisions to the mini-constitutions of Hong Kong and Macau during a four-day session beginning Aug. 17, though it didn’t specify what changes would be made.

Source: WSJ #Jul28

https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-prepares-new-anti-sanction-laws-for-hong-kong-and-macau-11627475091?st=r0lq99ql8jrm0kj&reflink=article_copyURL_share

#China #AntiSanction #HongKong #Macau

China hits back after EU official joins call for cooperation on pandemic origins probe

A joint statement asks Beijing ‘to reconsider its decision to not engage in the WHO’s proposal for the next phase of the COVID-19 origins study.’

In a veiled warning to Brussels, Chinese officials urged Wednesday an end to "politicizing the issue of origins tracing" amid growing pressure on Beijing to allow for a more thorough investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

The statement, made by China's mission to the EU, comes after Research and Innovation Commissioner Mariya Gabriel added her name on Tuesday to a group of scientific experts and government representatives from the U.S., Australia and Japan. In a statement, they called on the "Chinese government to reconsider its decision to not engage in the World Health Organization's proposal for the next phase of the COVID-19 origins study."

Source: Politico #Jul28

https://t.co/PRgbH8QYkw

#EU #Statement #China #Covid19

Committee to Protect Journalists: At least 32 journalists jailed, Myanmar’s Fake News Act turns independent reporting into a crime.

Source: Stand News #Jul28

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Committee to Protect Journalists: At least 32 journalists jailed, Myanmar’s Fake News Act turns independent reporting into a crime.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an organization concerned with the state of press freedom worldwide, has released a report on the state of press freedom in Myanmar, saying that at least 32 journalists have been jailed since the coup in February and at least 45 as of July 1, before the military government released about 2,000 of those arrested in late June. The CPJ report said that at least 24 of the journalists were imprisoned because of Article 505(a) of the military's new post-coup Penal Code, which is used locally to combat “false news”.

CPJ's Southeast Asia representative and veteran journalist Shawn Crispin, who authored the report, said at an online press conference that the Burmese military government is fighting the last vestiges of press freedom in Myanmar through arrests, Internet bans, and the withdrawal of news agency licenses, calling for international attention to the press freedom and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.

Source: Stand News #Jul28

#Burma #Myanmar #BurmaCoup #MyanmarCoup #Burmesemilitary #CPJ #CommitteeToProtectJournalists #pressfreedom #pressfreedominBurma #pressfreedominMyanmar

https://bit.ly/3BMA41J

#Save12
Chinese Prison Penalises Hongkonger for "Failing" Mindset, Lawyer: May Loss Communication Right

Source: InMedia #Jul28

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#Save12
Chinese Prison Penalises Hongkonger for "Failing" Mindset, Lawyer: May Loss Communication Right

#TangKaiYin, one of the 12 pro-democracy Hongkongers who tried to flee to Taiwan but was captured by the Chinese authorities, is serving a prison sentence in Conghua in China.

His family in Hong Kong said they had not received any letters from him since February, 2022, and he did not collect letters sent to him.

Tang's brother checked the prison's online system yesterday and found that Tang still has a few transactions in June and July, 2021. But his prison score was deducted twice for "violating the rule," including "failing to pass the ideological, cultural and technical learning assessment for that month."

A China human rights lawyer, who has assisted these 12 Hongkongers, told #InMedia that prisoners who are not willing to plead guilty or "accept the mind conversion" might be forbidden from receiving letters and may be further deprived of consumption or communication rights.

According to the lawyer's analysis, not receiving letters, in this case, may not be related to plead of guilt, as Tang had already been sentenced earlier. It is more likely because he doesn't change his mind, "something like indoctrination, perhaps some kind of non-cooperation," he said.

In addition, prisoners sent to prison hospitals due to illness or physical punishment would not be allowed to receive or write letters, "It is also possible that he cannot write letters because of his health condition," the lawyer explained.

Source: InMedia #Jul28
https://bit.ly/3Jcs6mL

#12Hongkongers #China #PoliticalPrisoner #PoliceState #HumanRights #ThoughtPolice

#Court
High Court Judge Claims First Aiders "Encourage" Fighting, as First Aider Appeals 4-Year Rioting Sentence

In Hong Kong, the High Court has heard an appeal against the conviction of a 26-year-old man sentenced to four years for rioting in a 2019 #AntiELAB protest.

The man is one of 16 charged with rioting in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai on 31 August 2019, the fifth anniversary of the Chinese congress’ ’31 August decision’ to limit candidacy and representation in Hong Kong’s elections.

While six of the accused were acquitted, the man, who maintained that he was volunteering as a #FirstAider on the scene, was found guilty and handed a four-year sentence in 2021. He has now been incarcerated for over two years.

Citing the Lo Kin-man case, the appellate judge Derek Pang said on 28 July that a first aider can still be considered to have had a part in the riot.

“[Let’s say] you show up in a battle in a certain country’s military uniform. You have a red cross on your arm, and you’re a medic. Does that mean you’re not part of the frontline fighting? Isn’t that still a kind of support or encouragement?” Mr Pang said.

He added that helping someone of the same side in a riot to wash tear gas out their eyes is also a form of support. The appellant, he said, must have acted with the same purpose in mind as the rest of his camp.

“Why is it that you can’t possibly be one of the rioters if you’re a first aider? It’s not like you were with St John [Ambulance], is it?” Mr Pang said.

The prosecutor said it is for the court to decide if the appellant was a genuine first aider.

“A mere claim of having been a first aider [on the scene] doesn’t give one immunity,” she said.

Source: InMedia #Jul28
https://bit.ly/3S4TFTh

#HongKongProtests #PoliceState #FirstAider #PoliticalPersecution #Crackdown

US bars Hong Kong’s sanction-hit John Lee from APEC meeting in San Francisco – report

Washington will bar Chief Executive John Lee from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum meeting in the US this November, along with ten other Hong Kong officials, the Washington Post reported on Friday citing sources. Lee is still under US sanctions.

The annual APEC CEO Summit 2023 will be held in San Francisco on November 15 and 16. The economic conference involves political leaders from the Asia-Pacific region. However, Lee is one of multiple Chinese officials who were sanctioned by the US in 2020 for their alleged role in cracking down on political freedoms in the city.

The move comes despite recent efforts by the Joe Biden administration to reset relations with Beijing.

Source：HKFP #Jul28

https://hongkongfp.com/2023/07/28/just-in-us-bars-hong-kongs-sanction-hit-john-lee-from-apec-meeting-in-san-francisco-report/

#HongKong #US #JohnLee #APEC #Sanction

France is investigating suspected smuggling to China and Russia of advanced chip technology

Source: AP News #Jul28

#China #IndustrialEspionage #TechnologyTheft

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